Redwall: The Tale of Link
by TheChargingRhino
Summary: You don't see one of these, very often, now do you? In another land, a great evil is rising, and a Knight will answer the call for justice in The Tale of Link: A Novel of Redwall.
1. Prologue

Prologue

An old mouse sat in an old armchair, gazing out over the Abbey grounds. Overhead, flocks of birds sang and swooped through the air. "Pleasant night, Douglas. What are you doing up here on the battlements?" Friar Douglas turned in his chair to face Ruby, grandottermaiden of Skipper. "Ah, Ruby, I was going to look for you, but it seems as though you have come to me." The old mouse smiled. "I've heard that you like stories." Ruby nodded. "I do Friar." "Well, you're in luck tonight. Recorder Grewal let me borrow his record book for this evening, and would you know it-the last warrior that was at Redwall was fed by me?" Ruby's face lit up. "Really?" Douglas chuckled and opened the great book, shifting though it's many pages. "Ah. Here it is…The Tale of Link." "…May I ask Friar, but who was Link, and why isn't he here?" Other beasts had joined Ruby by this point, including Skipper himself. The otter clamped a paw on his grandmaiden's shoulder. "He's not here because he had to go somewhere else. Far away. His country might even be across the sea to the west, past Salamandastron, even. As to who Link was, he was the same age as you, sixteen seasons, and I Swear, no one ever wielded the Sword of Martin like him." Douglas squinted at the some-what faded writing on the page before him. "…Hmm…whoever wrote this, the beast did not write very well…maybe you can make it out, Skip?" Skipper held out his grayed paw. "Let me see the book, Douglas." The book passed from paw to paw and Skipper looked at it, musing silently. "…I can read it…alright. Everybeast, gather around. I'll tell you about the Abbey's darkest days, and the young mouse who took up Martin's sword and set out to rid the land of a great evil…." As the otter began to read from the yellowed pages, it seemed as if the very air stopped to listen.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The young mouse's eyes flickered open. His senses told him that outside, the sun was setting to the west. Nearby him, a hedgehog was attempting to give a young mole something. "It's for your own good! Come on, the sooner you take this, the sooner you can have some of Brother Honeystickle's candied chestnuts!" The young mole happened to look past the hedgehog and noticed the young mouse staring at him. "Motha Franna! He's awake!" Mother Flanna turned to face the young mouse, who was trying to sit up. "Oh no, don't waste what strength you have! Here, let me help you." While the hedgehog helped the young mouse out of his bed, the doors to the Infirmary opened. A group of seasoned beasts stood inside the doorway, trying to catch a glimpse of the young mouse. "Is that him? The one Martin spoke to us about?" "It must be." "Father Ignus, why don't you go in and speak to him, you're the one who found him on the path." An old squirrel nodded to his companions. "I shall do so." Father Ignus made his way into the Infirmary, while the otherbeasts looked on.

"What is your name, young one?" Mother Franna stepped back from the young mouse, giving him a chance to speak. The young mouse gazed at the old squirrel before him, and immediately liked the frail old beast. "My name is Link Forester. I come from Hyrule Kingdom…where am I, old one?" Father Ignus smiled and took the young mouse's small paws in his. "You are at Redwall Abbey. I found you laying outside on the dirt path two days ago. I imagine that you must be hungry, so I have requested that a feast be held, for most of us have been hovering around these doors for two nights, waiting for you to awaken." Ignus turned from Link, and began walking towards Skipper and Friar Douglas, smiling to himself. One by one, the beasts filled out of the Infirmary, talking to each other, until the young mouse was left alone. He looked around the room and marveled at the set tile and brick and marble. Then, he heard a voice. It sounded familiar, like a long lost kin. "Danger approaches. Link, I ask of you to take up my sword, and fight for Redwall. Only when you vanquish the great evil of old will you return to your homeland." A mouse in armor appeared in front of Link, wielding a shield and sword. The mouse raised his sword in a salute. "I am Martin, warrior of Redwall. My body may be long gone, but I will stay here as long as these red walls stand. Tonight, during the feast, the symbol of both your and my people will combine, and so will my sword and shield. Make me and your ancestors proud, Link. Farewell." Then Martin disappeared, and the room returned. Link shook his head, then walked towards the double doors.

"I need lots of Hotroot! Now! Those otters and hares will eat us out of house and Abbey!" "Past Friars have dealt with the rogues, you can as well, Douglas." The distraught mouse turned from an oven to face Link. "Oh! Hello! What do you need, Link?" he smiled. "So, you have heard of me already?" Friar Douglas reached out and shook Link's left paw, then gestured around the kitchens. "Heard of you? Of course I've heard of you-Skipper came running in here roaring like a madbeast about how you had awakened and because of this, his clan and the hares of Salamandastron are coming here to celebrate." The smells of the goods baking in the stone ovens suddenly overcame Link, and he swayed slightly. Friar Douglas noticed this and yelled at somebeast to bring him a chair. "Here, sit on this. I can't have you falling over in my kitchens!" Douglas turned to a table and turned back with a bowl containing something. "Eat this. If you still want something, don't be afraid to ask." The young mouse took the bowl from Douglas and attacked the soup with vigor. A few minutes later, he looked up from the now empty bowl. "…I forgot to thank you, didn't I? What is this? It's fantastic!" The older mouse grinned with pride. "I've never meet a mouse that liked Hotroot Soup! Wait until Skipper hears about this!" The mouse took the bowl from Link and filled it again. When the Friar turned around, the young mouse had wandered off, no longer feeling faint from hunger. "Huh, I never saw anyone recover so fast from not eating for so long either."

"Is this Martin? He must have been a great warrior." "He was. His spirit still resides here, watching over the Abbey. When danger approaches, he appears in the dreams of somebeast, telling them to take up his sword and rid the land of evil." Link half turned from the tapestry to see Skipper walking towards him. At the otter's words, the young mouse was reminded of his vision of Martin. "Skipper…he…came to me. I think he chose me to be your guardian…" Skipper nodded towards Link and moved towards the tapestry. "There's word from Salamandastron about an army staying nearby the shore. A huge beast leads them." The otter reached up and unhooked a cloth-covered object from its brackets. Skipper then turned to Link, and held out the object to him. "If Martin came to you, and he asked you to protect us, then there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to wield his sword. Take it." The young mouse reached out and took the object from Skipper. He then removed the cloth-a blazing sword was laying in his paws. "…That's odd…the Sword of Martin…its glowing…." Skipper raised his gaze from the sword to the beast holding it. The mouse was staring at the sword, then his left paw closed over the hilt. The aged cloth fell to the floor and Link lifted the Sword of Martin to the sky. Then he stepped back, lowered the blade, and swung the sword. Skipper steps back a few paces. "A leftie? I don't think any of our warriors have been lefties…" Link swung the blade again and looked at Skipper. "My whole family is left-handed. Where I come from, my ancestors have…I guess you could say that they were born warriors. We have saved our kingdom over and over again, saving the Princess who ruled during the Hero's life, and defeating a returning evil. If I'm here…then I have to defeat whoever is here." By now, tons of Abbeybeasts had gathered in the Dining Hall, and they all moved towards the tapestry. At the exact moment when Father Abbot Tintson reached Skipper and Link, the young mouse swung the sword again, and to everybeast's horror, Martin's sword struck the Abbot.

"I didn't mean to…." Tintson looked at the young mouse, who was still holding the sword that was keeping him alive. "…Even though you did this by accident, I can see that you follow your ancestors…" The old mouse put his now-trembling paws on Link's shoulders. "I think that I shall survive this. You, are here for a reason. Martin appeared to me in a dream, sometime last night. He said this to me, and the second that I saw you holding Martin's sword, I knew that you were our next warrior. 'Link! Link! The Princess has been taken! Oh where, oh where can she be? Ganon, the Savage Demon King, has taken her to his Darke Tower nearby the Sea! Find the Abbey, find the blade, for history shall soon be made. Fight for honor, fight for glory, fight with all your might, for the Evil Demon King must be slain upon this very night. Swing the sword, wield the shield, and the enemy might just yield. Use the blade and slay the King, then the bells shall truly sing!' …I can't make head nor tail of it, but it must relate to you. What do you make of it?" Link drew back the Sword of Martin and Abbot Tintson waited for an answer. "….He is here? In Mossflower? ...No wonder Martin asked me to take up his sword..."

Just then, outside of the Abbey, a fox was hovering outside the window. Upon hearing Link's words, he smiled. "So, the mouse learns that his foe has come to Mossflower. Excellent. Lord Ganon will be pleased." The fox sprinted away, the Abbeybeasts completely unaware that there was a spy among them.

"Fox! Outside!" "What?" "There's a fox outside the window!" Link raced over to a stained glass window in time to see a fox running in the opposite direction. His eyes narrowed. "I'll get him." He turned to Skipper. "Do you have a bow?" "No, but we have slings." Link nodded. "Give me one."

THACK! The fox fell, never to return to the Evil One's land. The Abbey doors opened, and Abbeybeasts poured out of them. "That was great, Link!" "How'd you learn to shoot like that?" "My father taught me. And his father taught him, and so on, and so forth." The Dibbuns crowded around the sling-holding mouse. "Can you hit something else?" "I want to use it!" Link managed to free himself from the mob of small beasts. "Not today. Perhaps when you're older." The young mouse began to walk towards the open doors of the Abbey when from the ditch nearby the path sprang a massive beast, which reached behind him and uncovered a golden trident. Ganon, the Savage Demon King, had come to Redwall!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ganon swung his trident and sent the sword-wielding mouse flying, making him hit the side of the Abbey. Meanwhile, his horde of vermin began to terrify the residents of Redwall. "Give us your children, we'll make them raiding beasts!" "I heard Redwall has nice food, give us some!" The Demon King turned and roared at his beasts and the Redwallers. "No! Don't harm any of them! This is between Link and I! Stay back if you wish to live!"

Link walked in a world of whiteness. It was quiet. Then from the white around him came Martin. The warrior mouse stepped up to Link and put his paws on his shoulders. "What are you doing, Hero? Why do you sleep? Awaken, awaken and protect my home. Redwall needs you. You hold my sword in your paws. Use it." Then the mouse lowered his paws and walked away from Link, leaving him in the never-ending whiteness.

The young mouse awoke suddenly. All around him, he could hear roars and screeches. One voice he remembered well. "Find him! Find Link and bring his body before me! This eternal war ends now!" The sound of grass being crushed next to his head caused Link to open his eyes. A form stood above him, blocking out the sun. The beast smiled. "You're in for it, Mouse. I'm Captain Streath. Get up." "Can you not take pity on me? For I am injured." The ill-dressed weasel shook his head. "Not a chance. Get up, or I'll make you." Link slowly reached to his side and stood up. "As you wish, weasel." Captain Streath smiled to himself, happily thinking about how his leader would honor him for capturing the warrior mouse. But he would never see his leader again. Link swung Martin's sword and Captain Streath was no more.

Link emerged from the shadows of the west side of the abbey, favoring his right hind-paw and holding his sword in his left paw. He gazed around the grounds, his gaze flicking away from prone beasts, both good and evil. Skipper evaded two ferrets and ran over to him. "You're hurt! I should've known that when that madbeast hit you, something happened. We've lost a lot of goodbeasts, but so has that no-good gigantic pig! Come on, all that are able are retreating into the Abbey! Follow me and stay close." Skipper took Link's right paw and led him towards the pink sandstone building in the distance.

"Retreat! Fall back to the Darke Tower! We shall invade at another time. Come, my horde, let us take leave of this territory-we have what we came for." Ganon galloped away from the Abbey, his horde trailing behind him, pulling a wooden cart. Inside the cart were four sacks, which contained an ottermaiden, two squirrels, and a mousebabe. One of the sacks began to move and a ferret by the name of General Scratch swung at the sack. "Quiet, you! You'll see daylight soon enough!"

The horde stopped in a clearing, far from the Abbey. The sacks were taken from the cart and flung against a tree. One by one, the captives were released. They watched fearfully as Ganon paced back and forth in front of them, glaring at them every so often. "So...are we going to go after the sword-wielding mouse?" Ganon turned to face the lone rat. "Soon, Hastred. Soon, we will march on Redwall again, and this time, he shall not see dawn...or dusk, depending on what time we strike. Now, they must be gathering their dead. Gather a raiding patrol and kidnap him. Go!" Hastred nodded and went to find suitable warriors for his raiding patrol.

"Well, we threw the dead vermin into the ditch. Now, we must bury our dead with respect. Follow me." Skipper and Link turned from the now-filled ditch and slowly walked to the first batch of fallen woodlanders. "...He shouldn't have been out here..." Skipper bent down and slipped his paws under a prone small mouse. "...Wait..." Link stepped up to Skipper and lowered his head to the mousebabe's chest. Then his head shot upwards. "...Skip...he's alive." "What?" Link began to nod. "Yes. He still lives-get him inside-I'll look for others. Maybe others survived..." Skipper wheeled away from Link and ran towards the open doors of the Abbey. The young mouse watched him enter the structure, then began the dreary task of looking for survivors.

In the end, most of the goodbeasts were still alive. They helped each other inside Redwall and Link began to follow them. But he was weary from his injuries, and he did not notice a rat and other vermin following close behind him. In one swift motion, the rat lifted a sword hilt high above his head and leaped at the young mouse, dealing him a blow to the head. The warrior swayed, half turned, and fell, the Sword of Martin falling to the ground beside him. Hastred lifted the blade and swung it around. "We did it! Hurry, tie him up before he wakes." The other vermin brought ropes and wooden stakes and begun the process of binding the young mouse.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Link felt as though he was swaying from a great height. It was like being in a hammock, except hammocks do not bounce and curse. The young mouse opened his eyes to see the ground flying past him. He lifted his head to gaze at a sword blade. "You're awake. Enjoy your last moments of freedom, mouse, because we've tied you up, we have that sword you were carrying, and our leader will have no mercy on you." The rat smiled coldly and swung the sword at Link. He ducked, but the blade nicked his face. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I cut you?" The young mouse lifted his head again to glare at the rat. "I've had worse. Go ahead. Take me to your leader. When I'm free of my bonds, I'll come and find you, then I will make sure that you feel what I have felt, a thousand times over. Do you understand, rat? Do you?" Hastred began to feel frightened and moved away from the mouse. "When Ganon is finished with you, you'll be lucky to be alive!" At the rat's words, chills ran through the mouse's form. "...He's your leader?" Hastred nodded, enjoying the sudden look of fear on the mouse's face. "Yes, Ganon is our leader, and he has been waiting for your arrival. You can try to fight us, mouse, but you won't win." In sudden desperation, Link strained at the ropes binding him to the wooden stake, but fell back. "...You shouldn't waste your energy, young one. I see strength in you-don't let your fear overcome your wisdom." Another mouse was being taken to the horde's camp, and was being treated worse than Link. His clothes were tattered and ruined, and untreated wounds gleamed in the moonlight. "Yes. Look at my sorry form. I have lived much longer than you. I've seen more beasts die that I should. You come from Redwall, do you not? I saw that rat with the sword, curse him. After whatever He shall do to you, find me. I know a few healing remedies that these vermin would kill me to get." The horde was nearing the camp and the old mouse was taken to another section. Before Link lost sight of him, the old mouse shouted. "And remember this: Whatever you do-don't surrender to the pain! Fight through it!" Then Hastred's group marched through the main gates, and the old mouse was gone.

The sorry-looking raiding party approached the wooden throne in the center of the camp. "We have him." A cloaked beast nodded. "Very good, Hastred. Set him upright. I want us to look at each other for a while." The rats strained to lift the wooden beam upright. After some time, the cloaked beast stood up and threw back his cloak. The red cloth fell to the ground, and the owner clopped up to the tied mouse. "If you think that you can escape me, you are mistaken. Look around you, Link-I have warriors stationed everywhere, beasts looking in every direction, and I have something special planned for you." The beast began to circle around the wooden beam and the mouse tried to follow him with his eyes. "Yes, I have no doubt that you know of me. Ganon, the Savage Demon King. The mousemaiden is here, locked away, guarded day and night under lock and key. You will be tied here for as long as I wish." Ganon stopped in front of Link, stepped backwards, and leaned close to the mouse. "Let us see if Hylia can save you here." Then Ganon began to roar with laughter, and across the camp, another mouse looked out of her cell and began to wonder if at last, someone had come to save her.

Numerous sounds of doors being opened and shut could be heard around the abbey. "He's gone!" "Who's gone?" The inhabitants of Redwall came upon Skipper kneeling in front of the famous Tapestry of Martin, staring up at the place where the sword rested not too long ago. "What do you mean, Skip? I saw him a few hours ago. Perhaps he's gone off somewhere by himself." "No." The otter slowly stood and faced the group in front of him. "He is not here. I've looked everywhere for him." Abbot Tintson padded up to Skipper. "Are you absolutely certain of this?" "Yes." Tintson turned to face his friends. "I fear the worst for the young mouse. And what is worse, he wields the Sword of Martin, which has kept Redwall safe beyond seasons. If something has happened to him..." The entrance doors slammed open, interrupting Tintson. A group of hares ran in, gathering around the now-confused beasts. "Laird Frederick sent us to help you, sahs! He says that you have a lost warrior that needs to be found?" Tintson nodded. "We do." The leader of the hares bowed low. "Captain Varya at your service. The Long Patrol of Salamandastron will find your lost warrior and bring him home, sahs!" Varya turned to his hares. "We leave at dawn! Find someplace to rest, after a good meal, we'll start off!" Friar Douglas groaned softly. "First our next warrior appears on our doorstep, next he goes missing and about twenty hares show up-what next?"


	5. Chapter 4

**I will not be doing dialects, because they are too confusing.**

Chapter 4

Many nights had passed since Laird Frederick had sent some of his hares to aid Rewall. In that time, Link, the Warrior of Redwall, had finally met Princess Zelda. Still held captive by Ganon, the two plotted against the boar, and made a pact. But, there was still one other, one that was sent from far away, that was sent to aid the Redwallers and their friends in the war against the Demon King...

"Come on! Frederick's bound to be worried about us!" Two young hares raced across the sands, racing towards the fire mountain known to all as Salamandastron. Maple Swiftfoot and her brother, Samuel. Both were dressed in the traditional Long Patrol uniforms, and as they raced each other aross the sand, Maple noticed something. A lone form, streched out on the shore. "Hey, Sam?" Sam stopped, spraying sand in every direction. "What is it Map?" Mapel pointed at the beast. "Do you see that?" Sam looked at the beast with supision. "...Is it a badger?" As the two neared the beast, it moved, ever so slightly. Maple held up an arm. "Don't move. She might be dangerous-she's hurt." "...She?" Maple smiled at her brother. "Yes. She." "But how can you tell...?" "She's smaller than Frederick. A lot smaller, so she's young, too. Come on, we have to help her..."

Thoughts raced through the badgermaiden's mind. How did she get here? _Where_ was here, exactly? And those voices...

A white paw was the first thing that appeared in her vision. It was flung outwards, towards the sea. "...She's awake, isn't she?" Two hares appeared above her, blocking out the afternoon sun. She blinked up at them, bewidlered. "...What..." One of the hares grinned. "Hi!" "Sam!" The male hare looked shocked. "What? Maple, do you know how rare it is to see a second badger?" The hare called Mapel shook her head and bent down to the badgermaiden's eye level. "...Hello. Do you know where you are?" The badgermaiden's eyes moved around before focusing on the hare again. "...No..." Suddenly, she pushed herself upright, and she found herself looking out at an endless sea. She looked down at the two hares beside her. "What do they call this place?" "...Salmandastron. The Fire Mountain." The hare called Sam looked up at the badgermaiden. "...What do they call you?" She followed his gaze to her weapon, a sword that was strapped to her back. Reaching behind her, the badgermaiden unsheathed the blade, sunlight catching it. She then grinned down at them. "...I go by many titles...but you may call me...Lauren."

Sam raced through the many halls of the mountain, earning many looks as he did so. "Sorry, pardon me, _where is he...FREDERICK!_ " A huge badger stepped out of a lone room, staring at his officer. "...Sam...what seems to be ailing you?" Sam looked up at the Badger Lord. "...We...uh...have a guest..."

Meanwhile, on the beach, Maple was helping Lauren towards the mountain. "...You're not from here, are you?" The badgermaiden stopped walking and looked out towards the sea. "...You could say that..." The two began walking again, but when they had almost reached the enterance, an arrow flew through the air and hit the badgermaiden in the shoulder. She stopped, gritted her fangs, and drew the arrow from her flesh. She then cast it beside her, turned around, and drew her sword. "I know you're somewhere, SO COME OUT." About twenty or som e vermin stepped from the sand bars, all carrying weapons. The one that seemed to be the leader, a fox, pointed his sword at her. "You! Badgermaiden! Our leader wants to have a little chat with you..." The fox's voice falthered as he reaized that the badgermaiden had walked right up to him, growling softly. "...And who would that be?" The fox snarled, giving the signal for his gang to attack. "Ganon! ATTTTAAAACCCKKK!"

Maple stood at the gate, watching as the badgermaiden took on the gang of vermin, all by herself. As more hares gathered to watch the fight, a familar battle cry rose up, and could be heard even over the yells of the vermin. "...EEEELLLLLUUULLIIIAAAAAAAAAA!"

She saw nothing but red. Blood. She was unstoppable, only seeking one thing: the fox. She had ditched her sword, knowing that nobeast could even get near it save herself, and had resorted to her claws and fangs. Even so, scars had been reopened, and the wounds were begining to take their toll. Soon, all but the leader lay dead, and she had the fox in the air, in her fist. She roared up at him "So, Ganon sent you to do his dirty work, huh? Well, he must know that I'm here then...Tell him this-I, Lauren, the Warrior, have come to kill him. Can you tell him this, fox?" The fox nodded frantically. Lauren drew back her arm and sent the fox flying.

Dust marked the fox's path. When he was lost to sight, the badgermaiden nodded to herself. "...Strange...I don't..." And then she fell sideways, to land on the blood-soaked sand. A slience cast over the group of hares, then the gates opened, and they rushed out to the fallen beast. Maple was there first, and she knelt down at her side. "What did you..." A tinge of red was visible in her eyes, along with pain. "...Ow...Maple...who's that?" A shadow cast over the hare and she looked up, only to see the Badger Lord standing over them. "...Frederick..." "Do not worry, Maple. I'll care for her." The giant badger reached down and picked up the badgermaiden, and carried her off towards the mountain...

Later that evening, Laird Frederick took a long look at the maiden that lay asleep in his bed, then got up fro his desk and went to a rather large boulder. he pushed it aside, and went into the room beyond, taking lit lartern as he did so.

He stopped before a hand-drawn picture, and sat down before it. "...Boar...my fore-fathers...if this badgermaiden is the one who carries the blade you saw long ago...may you protect her...and the warrior mouse...for they both will need your help..."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

She stood in an open field. Beyond, in the far distance, was a castle. She knew that this castle was much bigger than her. _...I know this place..._ Her eyes narrowed. _I know it well_. The badgermaiden began to walk toawrds the castle, but she didn't seem to be getting anywhere. "...What..." Then she heard something behind her. She spun, only to see a mouse, wielding a sword. "...Who are you?" "Martin. Martin of Redwall. Why do you sleep, maiden?" She stared at him. "Because I fought over twenty vermin at once. Not to mention how I got here..." Martin nodded. "I came to tell you that, even though you have done much, Mossflower needs you." "Mossflower?" "Yes, all of the land around you is Mossflower, but even now, you are near the gates of the Forest." The maiden cocked her head. "Forest?" "Even now, you drift more and more closer to the Forest. Your wounds...are taking their toll on you. But you can resist the call. Awaken. Awaken, you who wields the blazing sword, awaken, and discover why you have been called." Then, Martin was gone. Just like that.

 _"She's waking up!" "Somebody help me hold her down!" "FREDERICK!"_ With a panic-filled roar, she bolted upright, panting. She only saw the face of the male badger in front of her. "Calm yourself. You are safe." Frederick reached up and put his paws on her shoulders, while looking over at a group of hares that were standing in the doorway. "...Do you need anything?" "I do not, but I imagine that she might like something." The biggest hare nods. "I'll go and get something." All but two of the hares leave the room.

About two minutes later, the badgermaiden calmed down and was able to look around the room. Off in a corner, below a window, was an anvil, one that seemd to have been used for many years. Numerous weapons hung on walls around the anvil, and there was a table with other weapons sitting on it. Two items in particular catched her eye-a battered sheild, and a sheathed one handed sword. Frederick noticed her gaze. The Badger Lord walked over to the table and picked up the sword and shield. "Are these yours?" She nodded. "Yes." Frederick smiled. "So you can talk." "I noticed. How long was I asleep for?" Frederick looked out the lone window, out towards the sea. "Many days." The badger looked towards the young badgermaiden that had laid in his bed for a week, and wondered how she even survived the ambush. He lowered his gaze to her weapon of choice, a beatiful-hand-crafted blade. The handle was covered in a strange red scaled covering, the hilt was also covered in this strange material. The crossguard was one that he has never seen before-two wings, spread apart, the ends were clawed, and were also red. but the blade itself was what drew Frederick's attention. It was also red, but it was covered in runes, ones that he had never seen before, and he had a feeling that he wouldn't find them in any of his books...

Frederick looked towards the badgermaiden and put his paw on the hilt. She nodded, and in one fluid motion, he drew the blade from its sheath. The sword hissed as it sprang from its cage, and it seemed like it was suddenly set ablaze. Frederick swung the sword, and he swore that it cut the very air as the blade sliced downwards. Satisfied, he lifted the blade upwards, and resheathed it. He then walked over to the bed and placed the sword and sheild at the maidens feet. "Whoever made your sword knew what they were doing. May I ask your name, young one?" She offered a paw to him and Frederick took it, helping her stand. He couldn't help but notice as she turned and began equipping her sword and sheild that she was well built, and that she was obivously trained to fight. As she turned back to face him, she had a light in her eyes, they appeared golden. She held up her paw, towards him, and he took her hand in the timeless gesture and they shook hands. "I go by many titles, of course, but you may call me Lauren. I understand that you have a full title..." Frederick nodded. "Lord Frederick the Feroisous. ...You say that you want a title as well?" Lauren nodded. "...Hmmm...Maple said that you might already have a title. Would Warrior siut you?" "...I'll take it. Could I perhaps eat something?" Frederick nodded. "Come along, I have lots of hares that want to meet you." As the Badger Lord lead the badgermaiden away, he thought he heard a voice, one that said _Watch over her for me._ He stopped in the coridorr, confused. _...Who are you? "I am Dragonus. Her Guardian Dragon. The blade she carries is named Dragon's Fire, and I am its spirit. Please care for her for me, will you?_ Frederick nodded. _I shall do so._ He sensed that the sprit was satisfied, and the two contiuned towards the Dining Hall. He would have to ask Lauren about where she came from at a later time.


End file.
